Mail-In Application Requirements For Adult Renewals Only

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To save time and process your passport application in the most efficient and timely manner possible, we request applicants who meet the requirements for an Adult Passport Renewal using form DS-82 to renew by mail using Correos de Costa Rica https://correos.go.cr/ . Your valid passport remains on file at the Consular Section and can be retrieved in person in the event of an actual emergency requiring travel. 

Please renew your passport by mail if you meet all the following requirements:

  • Your previous U.S. passport book/card is in your possession.
  • You were at least 16 years old when your most recent U.S. passport book/card was issued.
  • Your most recent U.S. passport book/card was issued less than 15 years ago.
  • Your previous U.S. passport was issued under your current legal name.

NOTE: Previously lost/stolen/mutilated passports DO NOT meet criteria for the renewal by mail service and require scheduling an in-person appointment on the U.S. Embassy website at https://cr.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/ 

The renewal by mail steps are as follows:

  1. Applicants pay passport fee online through Pay.gov https://pay.gov/public/form/start/607957567 You may pay using a U.S. or international credit or debit card, electronic funds transfer from a U.S. based bank account, Amazon Pay, or PayPal. You must print the electronic payment confirmation you receive via e-mail after successfully paying the fee and include it in the package you send to the embassy.
  2. Applicants submit required documents listed below to any Correos de Costa Rica post office around the country.
  3. Documents are sent to the U.S. Embassy in a sealed envelope provided by Correos de Costa Rica.
  4. The U.S. Embassy processes the applications upon receipt of the documents. (An incorrect or missing fee payment will result in no processing.)
  5. The Embassy or Correos de Costa Rica typically will not communicate with the applicant regarding the status of the package containing the passport. Therefore, please bear in mind that the process takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks from receiving your passport application at the Embassy to delivery back to Correos de Costa Rica.

Documents to include:

  • DS-82 Passport application form filled out online and printed (it should have a barcode
    on the left side). Go to: https://pptform.state.gov/.  Make sure to SIGN and DATE the application in black ink. Please be informed that signature in application should be the same as in the previous passport. A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS REQUIRED to process the passport application. If you have never had or applied for a social security number, you will be required to include a declaration under penalty of perjury that you were never issued a social security number. This declaration does not need to be notarized. When filling out the application form, please include 0s if you do not have a Social Security Number.
  • Current passport. If your current passport is unavailable, please read instructions for replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged passport for adults. If your current passport was issued more than 15 years ago or when you were younger than 16 years old you need to schedule an appointment and proceed as if it was a “first adult passport.”
  • One (1) color passport photo, 2″ x 2″ on a white background and no eyeglasses. Please check photo requirements.
  • Payment: Include online payment confirmation from Pay.gov.  Payment fee is $130.00 U.S. dollars for a passport book. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not include any additional fees, such as the expedite service fee since we do not provide this service at the Embassy. 

Please take note of the following:

  • Correos de Costa Rica personnel will not review your documents to verify if they are correct/complete. They will ONLY make sure that you do not include cash in the envelope.
  • Please do not seal the envelope until it is ready to be shipped.
  • Correos de Costa Rica agency will accept ONLY one application payment confirmation per envelope.
  • When receiving the envelope at the U.S. Embassy, our staff will review your documents.
  • If payment is not correct or cannot be confirmed in Pay.gov, you will receive an email with an “Information Request Letter” indicating it has not been confirmed in Pay.gov. Once you correct the payment online at Pay.gov and print the confirmation, you will send a copy to ACSSanJose@state.gov to process the passport application.
  • If documents are incorrect or incomplete, you will receive an email with an “Information Request Letter” indicating what needs to be provided.
  • It takes 5 business days for Correos de Costa Rica to deliver the shipments from/to the Embassy. The Embassy will take 15 business days to process and send your new passport to Correos de Costa Rica.

Passport applications are sent to the United States for printing. Your process will be delayed significantly if you are missing any of the requested documents. Plan at least 4 to 6 weeks to get your new passport using this renewal process.

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